Three dead after man opens fire in Illinois bowling alley

Police say ‘person of interest’ in custody following Saturday night incident in Rockford

Illinois State Police and other law enforcement agencies at the  scene of a shooting at a bowling alley in Rockford on Saturday. Photograph: Scott P. Yates/Rockford Register Star via AP.
Illinois State Police and other law enforcement agencies at the scene of a shooting at a bowling alley in Rockford on Saturday. Photograph: Scott P. Yates/Rockford Register Star via AP.

A gunman opened fire inside an Illinois bowling alley, killing three people and injuring three others on Saturday night in what authorities believe was a random attack.

A “person of interest” was taken into custody after the shooting at Don Carter Lanes, Rockford Police chief Dan O’Shea said during a news conference.

He said two of those who were shot were teenagers.

Mr O’Shea did not immediately release additional information about the victims or the person who was taken into custody.

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He described the scene as contained and said he did not think any officers fired their weapons while apprehending the person of interest.

Rockford is about 130km northwest of Chicago.

The Rockford Register Star reported that 2020 has been the city’s deadliest year for homicides, according to records that date back to 1965.

Thirty-five people have been killed in the city this year, breaking the previous record of 31 in 1996. - AP